Cowboy Up Definition & Meaning

Definition

Examples

cowboy up British

verb

1. informal (intr, adverb) to adopt a tough approach or course of action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Cowboy up, OK? I don’t want no crying when you get on there.”

From Los Angeles Times

You also cowboy up with some fancy duds.

From Salon

The Angels entered the game with more homers than any team in baseball besides the Toronto Blue Jays, providing many opportunities to cowboy up in the dugout.

From Los Angeles Times

The Astros are channeling the 2004 Red Sox, hoping to “cowboy up” for a stunning comeback that could send them to the World Series in Arlington, Texas.

From Washington Times

Asked how they endured such weather, Marquez answered: “You cowboy up.”

From Washington Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.